A recent study investigates the economic impact of obesity. According to this research, the projected costs associated with obesity will account for an average of 3.6% of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2060. Maintaining the 2019 rates of…
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COVID-19: Monoclonal antibody combo reduces hospitalization
A new study finds that a combination of two monoclonal antibodies can help high-risk COVID-19 patients avoid being hospitalized. In a study involving nearly 1,400 people with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19, significantly fewer individuals receiving antibody treatment required…
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Could a cheap cholesterol drug help fight COVID-19?
Laboratory studies indicate that a cheap generic drug reduces SARS-CoV-2 infection in human cells by up to 70%. The drug, called fenofibrate, regulates cholesterol levels but also destabilizes the spike protein on SARS-CoV-2 and inhibits binding to human cells. It…
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Antibiotic resistance: Alternating between drugs not the answer
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a major global health issue. Researchers have found that as some bacteria develop resistance to one antibiotic, they can develop sensitivity to another at the same time. Switching between these antibiotics may be one way…
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COVID-19 vaccine boosters: Knowns and unknowns
There are growing concerns that COVID-19 vaccines do not offer sufficient protection against new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Israel has already started to offer booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine to at-risk adults, and the United States is in…
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COVID-19: What is monoclonal antibody therapy?
In this feature, we look at the benefits of globally authorized monoclonal antibody treatments, along with some potential safety concerns and challenges in implementation. As countries continue to roll out vaccines to prevent COVID-19 and achieve herd immunity, scientists continue…
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Could a common cold virus help fight COVID-19?
A lab-based study has found that a virus that causes the common cold can trigger an innate immune response against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. In theory, infections with the common cold virus could inhibit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2…
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Healthcare workers have 7 times the risk of severe COVID-19
A study of severe COVID-19 in the United Kingdom reveals the risk that healthcare workers take to help others. A new study in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine examines the risks that “essential” and “nonessential” British workers will develop…
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Doctors warn against excessive drinking during the pandemic
Doctors have warned that people in the United States may be drinking excessively as a way to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. In a new viewpoint article, two doctors have warned that more people in the U.S. may be turning…
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COVID-19: Who is immune without having an infection?
Scientists have discovered antibodies that react to the new coronavirus in blood samples donated prior to the start of the pandemic. They suggest that some people may have at least a degree of preexisting immunity to the new virus. The…
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